Rotary engine.



No. 728,077. Q PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

E. BLUOKER.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17. 1902.

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No. 728,077- Q PATENTED MAY 12. 1903. E. BLUGKER. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NlTED TATits Patented May 12, 1903.

ERIC BLUCKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T \V. N.CHATFIELD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 72 77, dated y 1903-Application filed m 17, i902.

To all 1071/0112, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERIC BLUOKEB, a citizen of the United States, and aresident; of Chicago, Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulRotary-Engine, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to rotary engines to be operated by any form ofexpansive fluid, but particularly designed for steam.

It consists in improvements in the devices for keeping the rotatingpistons or vanes tight at their seats in the cylinder in which theytravel and in other features of construction, all of which features areset out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan. Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section.Fig. 3 is a transaxial section through the steam-ports.

, My improved rotary engine comprises a body 1, which consists of acylindrical chamber 2 and a base 3, upon which aremountedjournal-bearings for the shaft 4, which extends through thecylindrical chamber eccentrically with respect thereto and carries rigidwithin said chamber the eccentric rotating core 5, in which are mountedin radial channels 5, so as to reciprocate radially, the piston-vanes 66 6 6, whose length is equal. to the length of the cylindrical chamber.The width of the vanes is sufficient to afford them substantial bearingand guidance in the core when they are respectively protruded therefromso far as to reach the wall of the cylin der at the point most remotefrom the eccentric core. To the shaft 4 there are secured thehead-plates 7 7, which revolve with the shaft, and therefore with thecore and pistonvanes. On the inner face of each head-plate I provide anannular wearing-plate 8, which seats against the ends of thepiston-vanes and against packing, hereinafter described, lodged in anannular groove 9, formed in the end of the cylinder. This packingcomprises an outer metallic annulus'lO, a rubber or other'yieldinggasket 11 behind it, and back of the rubber gasket, still within thegroove 9, a second metallic annulus 12. The wearing-plates 8 8 arecarried with the rotation of the head-plate and core by projections 8which enter the end of the channels 5 at the Serial No. 115,908. (Nomodel.)

portion of the corewhich projects beyond the ends of the cylinder, theremainder of the channels at such projecting part being filled by plugs5 driven tightly thereinto, thus reducing the channels to pockets .forthe vanes, respectively. The wearing-plates 8 8 are adapted to beadjusted from the head-plates by screws 12 12, 850., set through thehead-plates and impinging against the wearing -plates. From the interiorof the cylinder-ducts 14 14 lead in the substance of the cylinder-wallto the bottom or back of the groove 9, and thereby the pressure of themotive fluid is admitted to the inner side of the inner metallic annulus12 and operates to force the packing outward, causing the outer metallicannulus 10 to seat steamtight against the inner face of thewearingplate. The screws 13 serve to adjust the wearing-plate closelyenough to insure such seating without permitting the outer metallicannulus 10 to escape from the groove 9, in which it is lodged. Thecavities occupied by the steam behind the packingare drained of thewater of condensation by ducts 14, with the ends of which thedrain-pipes 14 are connected, said drain-pipes being controlled by valve14, past which the water is blown out when the valves are opened fromtime to time. The grooves 9 9 are reduced in width at the bottom to formshoulders 9, by which the annulus 12 is stopped, so as to insure theentrance ofstearn in the reduced portion of the grooves behind theannulus and prevent it from entering betweenthe same and the yieldingpacking.

The piston-vanes 6 6 6 6 are arranged in two pairs, each pairconstituting a diametric diaphragm through the cylinder and core. The

two vanes of each pair, however, do not necessarily meet within thecore, but they are spaced from each other, and thereby adapted each topush the other by means of the spacing-plungers 15 15, which are lodgedin'suit-, able bores' made through the core-connecting channels,in whichthe piston-vanes are lodged. In the ends of the spacing-plungers thereare lodged coiled springs 16, which at their maxi mum extension protrudefrom the spacing blocks and react directly upon the inner edges of thetwo opposite piston-vanes, tending to force them outward and apart. Thebores 17, formed to accommodate the spacingplungers, are constructed soas to open at the surface of the core, and being wider than the channelsin which the vanes are guided and in which the bores merge their openends are exposed alongside the vanes and admit the steam from thecylinder-chamber into the core to the back edges of the vanes,respectively, whereby the steam-pressure is caused to operate to forcethe vanes radially outward, maintaining them at all times in steamtightcontact at their outer edges within the inner wall of the cylinder. Thesteam is admitted to the cylinder through the pipe 18, its port 18through the cylinder-wall being extended longitudinally with respect tothe cylinder and flattened circumferentially in respect thereto, so thatas the vanes respectively reach and pass said port the maximum openingfor inlet of steam is obtained quickly-that is, in very short angularmovement of the rotating element. The steam is permitted to escapethrough the exhaust-pipe 19, which opens into the cylinder through asimilar elongated and flattened port 20, said port being located inposition to be uncov ered by the piston-vanes, respectively, at theposition at which the pocket or sectoral chamber next following the vaneunder consideraliOIl is maximumthat is to say, when the medial radialplane of said sectoral chamber or pocket coincides with the diametricplane containing the center of the cylinder and the axis of the shaft.This permits the exhauststeam to escape immediately upon having attainedthe maximum expansion possible within the chamber. In order that thesteam may be entirely exhausted from each pocket before that pocketagain gets around to position to take live steam from the inlet and thatno compression of the residual steam in the pocket may occur at anystage after it has expanded in doing its work, I provide a secondexhaust-pipe 2l,whose port 22, preferably elongated and flattened likethe others, is reached and uncovered by each pistonvane before the vanewhich constitutes the other boundary of the sectoral pocket from whichthe exhauststeam is to be evacuated passes by and closes theexhaust-port 19. This necessarily locates the exhaust-port 22 at suchposition that it will not be passed and covered until just about thetime the vane reaches the lowest positionthat is, just before it passeson to the inlet-port for the admission of live steam again to thepocket, which will thus have been fully evacuated of the exhaust-steamthrough the port 21. It will be noticed that the core is mounted withits exterior cylindrical surface coinciding with the interiorcylindrical surface of the chamber at a line between the inlet andoutlet ports, and it will be seen that to prevent communication betweensaid ports at the parts of the rotation of the core at which there is nopiston-vane occupying the interval between the ports the core itselfmust be constructed to make steam-tight contact at such seating-line. Toinsure this, I provide a longitudinal channel 23 in the cylinderwall atthis part, and in such channel I lodge a packing-strip 24, which is heldinward toward the axis of the cylinder by springs 25 25, lodged in thepockets 26, so that the strip is always held in close contact with thecore. From the grooves 9 at points opposite the ends of the channel 23 Iprovide ports 27, by which the steam may pass from the grooves 9 to theback of the packing-strip 24 and to hold it balanced against thesteam-pressure, which from within the cylinder would tend to force itback out of contact with the core.

I claim 1. Inarotaryengineaoylinder,havingopen ends, and rotary coreextending through the cylinder, journaled eccentrically with respectthereto; heads at the opposite ends of such core constituting flangesthereof, whose marginal portions lap by the ends of the cylinder; suchcylinder ends having annular grooves, and packing in such grooves onwhich the lapping marginal portions of the flanges seat; piston-vanesmounted in the eccentric core and protruding radially therefrom withcapacity for radial movement to cause them to seat at their outer edgeson the inner Wall of the cylinder, and ducts in the substance of thecylinder-wall leading from the cylinder-chamber to the bottom, or backof the ackin rooveswhereb the ressure of the motive fluid operates onthe packing to seat it against the flanges.

2. Ina rotary engine a cylinder and rotary core extending through thecylinder, journaled eccentrically with respect thereto; heads forclosing the cylinder, radial pistonvanes mounted in the core and adaptedto be protruded therefrom to make contact at their outer edges with thecylinder-Wall; the cylinder having inlet and outlet ports for motivefluid at opposite sides of thelongitudinal line of nearest approach ofthe core to the cylinder-wall; said wall having a longitudinal groove atsaid line of nearest approach; a packing-strip lodged in such groove,and adapted to be pressed inward to seat on the eccentric core; a ductprovided in the cylinder-wall leading from the inlet side of the chamberto the back of the groove in which the packing-strip is lodged; wherebythe motive-fl uid pressure operates to seat such packing-strip againstthe eccentric core.

3. Inarotaryengineacylinderhavingopen ends and rotary core expandingthrough the cylinder, journaled eccentrically with respect thereto;heads closing the cylinder at the ends; piston-vanes mounted in theeccentric core, and adapted to reciprocate radially therein to causetheir outer edges to seat on the inner wall of the cylinder, said vanesbeing arranged in pairs, the two of each pair being diametricallyopposite; a spacing-block extending between the two vanes of each pair,

whereby they are adapted to crowd each other back and forth through thecore as thelatter revolves eccentrically in the cylinder, the two vanesthen cooperating, being free to move outward independently of eachother, yielding means tending to force them apart.

4. In a rotary engine a cylinder, andheads which close it at the ends; arotary core extending through the cylinder from head to head, andjournaled eccentrically with respect thereto; piston-vanes mounted inthe eccentric core, and protruding radially therefrom; said vanes beingin pairs, the two of each pair being diametrically opposite, and havingspacing blocks extending between their approximate edges whereby theyare adapted to crowd each other back and forth through the core, as thelatter revolves eccentrically in the cylinder, the core having passagesleading from its surface to the bottom, or back, of the grooves, inwhich the vanes are guided, whereby the pressure of the motive fluid isadmitted. to the back edges of the vanes to force them outward andapart, and maintain their outer edges seated on an inner wall of thecylinder. a

5. In a rotary engine a cylinder having heads to close its ends; arotary core extending through the cylinder, and journaled eccentricallywith respect thereto; piston-vanes mounted and guided in radial groovesin the core, and adapted to be protruded to cause their outer edges toseat on the innerwallof the cylinder, such vanes being in pairs, two ofeach pair being diametrically opposite spacing-blocks between the twovanes of each pair, by which they are adapted to crowd each other backand forth through the-core as the latter revolves, said spacing-blockshaving elastic, yielding terminals whereby they tend to holding thevanes yieldingly protruded; the core having ducts leading fromitssurface to the back, or bottom of thegroove in which the vanes areguided to admit the motive fluid for holding the vanes protruded.

6. In-a rotary engine,a cylinder having open ends; a rotary coreextending through the cylinder, journaled eccentrically with respectthereto; heads at the ends of the core rotating as rigid therewith,andconstituting flanges for the core, having their marginal portionslapping the ends of the cylinder; piston-vanes mounted in the eccentriccore, with capacity for radial movement,and provided with means forholding the vanes protruding to the inner wall of the cylinder, combinedwith annular wearing plates on the inner faces of the flanges, and meansfor causing the wearingplates to be carried with the core and flanges intheir rotation, and screws for setting up the wearing-plates to the endsof the cylinder.

7. In arotary engine,a cylinder having open ends, a rotary coreextending through the cylinder andjournaled eccentrically with respectthereto; piston-vanes mounted in the eccentric core, with capacity forradial movement and with means for holding them protruding to the wallsof the cylinder; heads at the end of the core and rotating rigidtherewith and constituting flanges for the core, having their marginalportions lapping the ends of the cylinder, said cylinder ends havingannular grooves, packing in such grooves, and means for forcing thepacking outwardly; in combination with wearing-plates on the inner facesof the flanges respectively, bearing against the outwardly-thrustpacking; means for carrying the annular wearing-plates with the core andflanges in their rotation, and screws set through the flanges impingingagainst the wearing-plates to set thelatter inward to meet the thrust ofthe packing. I

8. In arotaryengine,a cylinder having open ends; a rotary coreextendingthrough the cylinder, journaled eccentrically with respectthereto; piston-vanes mounted in the eccentric core, with capacity forradial movement, and with means for holding the vanes protruding to thewalls of the cylinder; heads at the ends of the core rotating as rigidtherewith and constituting flanges for the core, having their marginalportions lapping the ends of the cylinder; in combination with annularwearing-plates on the inner faces of the flanges, having from theirinner circumference projections taking into engagement with theperiphery of the core, for carrying the wearing-plates with the coreandflanges in their rotation, and screws set through the flangesimpinging on the wearing-plates to set 100 the latter inward toward thecylinder ends.

9. Inarotary engine,a cylinderhavingopen ends; a rotary core extendingthrough the cylinder, journaled eccentrically with respect thereto;heads at the opposite ends of such-40 5 core, constituting flangesthereof, their marginal portions lapping the ends of the cylin der, suchcylinderv ends having annular grooves and packing in such grooves onwhich the lapping marginal portions of the flanges 116 seat;piston-vanes mounted in the eccentric core and protruding radiallytherefrom, with capacity for radial movement to cause them to seat attheir outer edges ontheinner wall of the cylinder; ducts in thesubstance of the n 5 cylinder-wall leading fromthe center oflthecylinder-chamber to the back of t-hepackinggrooves, to admit thepressureof the motive fluid to the packing to seat it against the flanges;drainage-ducts from the ,packing- 12o grooves leading out. throughthesbottom or lower side of the cylinder, and valves controlling suchdrainage-ducts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, Illinois,this 5th day of :25 July, 1902.

. ERIC BLUCKER. Witnesses: V

OHAs. S. BURTON, J. S. ABBOTT.

